INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Campbellsville bowling showed it could compete on a big stage this weekend. The Tigers and Lady Tigers placed 16th and 10th, respectively, at the Storm Western Shootout.
After placing well in the first two, much-smaller tournaments of the year, CU tested its skills against colleges from all divisions in the two-day competition.
Team play started on Saturday and The Tigers knocked down 5,556 pins to sit in 15th place after day one.
Campbellsville, with a 2,703 Baker pin total, finished the weekend with 8,349 team pins. The 16th place finish was within seven pins of both the 14th and 15th place finishers – Marian University and Lindenwood-Belleville.
Campbellsville's JV team took 36th in the team tournament, with a two-day total of 7,090 pins. NCAA Division II Notre Dame College (Ohio) took the Shootout title with 9,361 pins.
Sophomore Andrew Lissik once again led the Tigers in the individual tournament. He placed ninth of 280 competitors. Lissik's high scores came in game four (252) and six (238) to push his total to 1,258 pins in six games. He finished just 72 pins behind Jacques Kaune, the title winner from William Penn University with 1,330 pins.
"He has become a leader for this team," said coach Jamie Lawrence. "He's an analyst. He can look at his teammates and offer great advice."
Close behind Lissik in the Tigers' effort was Ryan Bremer, who finished 16th with a total of 1,232 pins. His high scores came in his first and last games with a 234 and a 226, respectively.
Hudson Haynes rounded out the competition's top 50, as he knocked down 1,127 pins to finish 49th. Also contributing to CU's individual scores were Zach Prince (71st, 1,038), Travis London (95th, 944), Matt Wehle (97th, 935), Austin Corbett (114th, 887). Drake Tyler (816) bowled five games for the Tigers, and Devon Gunderson (661) bowled four. Joshua Puher totaled 517 pins and Cam Carder totaled 468 pins in three games, while Christian Thurman contributed in two games for 293 pins and Justin Nelson bowled one game of 89.
The Lady Tiger success continued this weekend as they finished in 10th place among 37 teams. The women used increasing totals during each successive Baker game to bump them up a spot from Saturday. They sat in 11th after the first day with a team pin total of 5,261, and finished the tournament with 8,014 pins.
Chelsey Stephens led the Lady Tigers in individual play. She finished 13th in the field of 232, with a total of 1,137 pins.
"Chelsey is definitely a leader on the team and she sets a high standard for everyone else," said Lawrence. "She's impactful with the way she bowls. And not only that, but she gives good advice to the younger bowlers coming up."
Sophomore Crystal Land also placed highly in the large field, finishing with a 1,098 pin-total, good for 26th place. Sisters Kylah Martin (1,059) and Keysha Martin (1,054) came in 45th and 49th place, respectively.
Katlyn Hoeh bowled four games for CU, totaling 625, while Ashley Newman bowled two and tallied 288 pins.
"Several freshmen are coming into their own as far as the college game," said Lawrence. "They are learning how to endure long days and tournaments. I am already seeing how each of them have come a long way."
The Tigers and Lady Tigers will spend this coming weekend in Dayton, Ohio at the Orange & Black Classic hosted by Pikeville.Â
